Emmys 2017: ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ ‘Big Little Lies’ wins big

Bruce Miller, from left, Margaret Atwood, and Elisabeth Moss accept the award for outstanding drama series for "The Handmaid's Tale" at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Sterling K. Brown accepts the award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series for "This Is Us" at the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Sunday night’s 69th Primetime Emmy Awards reflected the diversity of the television landscape as well as the current political climate.

Hosted by Stephen Colbert from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, the TV awards show also highlighted the work of women in the medium.

It was a big night for Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which took home five awards (after winning three at last week’s Creative Arts Emmys).

Elisabeth Moss won her first Emmy for her role in the dystopian series, which was named the best drama. Moss is also a producer on the series.

“It’s been an incredible year for women in television, bringing women to the front of their own stories and making them heroes,” said Reese Witherspoon, while accepting the award for HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” which was named best limited series.

Oscar winner Witherspoon was a producer of the series, as was co-star Nicole Kidman, who was named best actress in the category.

“Reese, I share this with you,” said Kidman, accepting the award. Kidman also said the series was meant “to shine a light on domestic abuse.”

HBO’s “Veep” was named best comedy for the third year in a row, and its star, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, made Emmy history as she won the outstanding comedy actress category for playing Selina Meyer, a vapid politician. It was the actress’ sixth consecutive Emmy and set the record for most Emmys won by a performer in the same role for the same series. She also tied Cloris Leachman for the most Emmys ever won by a female performer.

Next season will be the last for “Veep” and Louis-Dreyfus noted that they had planned “a whole storyline about an impeachment but we abandoned that because we thought somebody might get to it first,” joking about President Trump.

That reflected the politics that bubbled up throughout the show.

Host Stephen Colbert came out punching with a song that referenced many of the successes of TV this year — and the ills in the world. “Troubles aren’t so troubling in HD. Everything is better on TV.”

“We binge ourselves tonight,” he joked, then turned serious to thank Hurricane Harvey and Irma first responders and make a plea for support to aid victims.

“It can’t be denied that the biggest star of last year was Donald Trump — and Alec Baldwin,” he joked, referring to the actor who parodied the president on “Saturday Night Live.”

Advertisement

Sterling K. Brown was named best actor in a drama for NBC ensemble “This Is Us.” Brown is the first black actor to win in that category since Andre Braugher on “Homicide” in 1998.

Riz Ahmed was named best actor in a limited series for HBO’s “The Night Of,” playing a Muslim student wrongly accused of murder. He gave a shout-out to his co-star and competitor John Turturro and acknowledged James Gandolfini, who was originally to star in the series before his death.

The expected “Stranger Things” victory in drama did not happen, while Emmy voters opted for HBO’s power. The cable network was easily the overall winner.

Still, the streaming service had some moments.

The awards opened with a sixth Emmy win for veteran actor John Lithgow, who played Winston Churchill in Netflix’s “The Crown.”

Netflix’s trippy sci-fi series “Black Mirror” picked up two Emmys in the limited series category for the time-traveling episode called “San Junipero.” Series creator Charlie Brooker also won for writing it.

Donald Glover, the creator-writer-star of FX’s “Atlanta,” was a double-winner. He took home the prize for directing a comedy and was named best actor in the category.

“I want to thank Trump for making black people number one on the most oppressed list. He’s the reason I’m probably up here,” he said when accepting the best actor in a comedy series.

Laura Dern picked up her first Emmy for “Big Little Lies” for best supporting actress in a limited series. In accepting, she thanked “the incredible tribe of fierce women” involved in the show. Alexander Skarsgard, who played a wife-beating husband on the show, was named best supporting actor in the category, while Jean-Marc Vallée (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Wild”) won as best director of a limited series.

“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” won both best variety series and outstanding writing in a variety series for the second year in a row.

“You would think it would be easier for the writers because of all that’s going on, but it isn’t,” said Oliver, accepting for his staff. His wins meant that Colbert’s “Late Show” was shut out.

The wins for “The Handmaid’s Tale” included Reed Morano, who was named best director for a drama. She became only the second woman to take home the prize.

Veteran actress Ann Dowd was named best supporting actress in a drama series, and Bruce Miller won the prize for best writing for a drama.